Tell-U-Ride!

There have been many miles with many adventures since our last update. In the time between we have made it to the grand town of Telluride, CO! We have added many new pictures to our photo album - do yourself a favor and check them out!

Our decision to wait out the storm in Buena Vista was a good one - instead of climbing Cottonwood Pass in the cold rain & snow, we had a cloudless bluebird day for our 10 mi./4 hr. ride up to the Continental Divide! The views from the top of the pass were truly spectacular and we took a good hour to soak it all in. It was interesting to watch to cars summit the pass, take a quick picture, and then be off on their way. Needless to say, there was a huge sense of satisfaction as we sat atop the 12,100+ ft. pass after peddling ourselves up the mountain, and we all enjoyed our moment of glory!

The downhill from the Continental Divide was a thrill! We road all the way down to the Taylor Park Reservoir where we faced our coldest night of the trip - 25 deg. F - another chance to test our gear. Let's hope it doesn't get much colder than that, but thankfully we had some hot coffee to warm us up that morning! The life on the road most certainly takes its toll - good thing Clif Bar is making the most tasty products on the market (breakfast usually consists of a Clif Nectar Bar and a Banana Nut flavored Clif Bar - delicious!). And there's nothing like relaxing at the end of a long day's ride with good meal and a frosty New Belgium Beer.

Riding down further into Colorado's interior, we made our way through Gunnison, around the Blue Mesa Reservoir, and on into Montrose. We enjoyed a leisurely day off in Montrose before climbing into the rugged San Juan Mountains. We had a quick stop in Ridgeway before setting off to tackle the Last Dollar Rd., which has taken us into this beautiful town known as Telluride, CO!

The Last Dollar Rd. was a great chance to get off of the highways and away from the cars and big rig trucks. It was also a chance to test our water filters, iodine tablets, and bike racks. Water purification checks out, but Elliot had to MacGyver his rack back on with a bandanna, a brake cable, and a piece of hemp string (pretty green)! We had an exhilarating encounter with a black bear on our last riding day into Telluride - make no mistake, we are IN the wild Rocky Mountains! Luckily, Roy (our tour troubadour) sent the bear off with a few rings of his bike-mounted bells and we emerged unscathed.

The ride into Telluride was glorious, and we are resting up and getting ready for the grand festival! People are flooding into this tiny mountain town and the Festivarian buzz is stirring things up here. Next Thursday will bring the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, and kick off what is sure to be another epic and memorable Bluegrass Festival here in magical Telluride, CO!